SARAH MCCAMMON, HOST:
This year, the number of journalists killed in conflict zones reached a five-year high, that's according to Reporters Without Borders, a press advocacy group that tracks journalists slain all over the world. They say in Gaza alone, more than 145 journalists have been killed since the start of the Israel-Hamas war last year, and they say accountability for their deaths has been elusive so far. Clayton Weimers joins me now. He's the executive director of Reporters Without Borders USA. Thanks for being here.
CLAYTON WEIMERS: Thanks for having me.
MCCAMMON: Clayton, what is driving this spike in the number of journalists killed in conflict zones?
WEIMERS: Well, the number one driver of that increase in killing of journalists in conflict zones is coming from Gaza. Like you said, at least 145 journalists have been killed since October 7, 2023, in direct connection with their work, which is an important distinction that we like to make at Reporters Without Borders because, you know, killing a journalist is - on top of a war crime for killing a civilian, is critical because you're also killing a witness to history.
MCCAMMON: Just this week, local authorities in Gaza said Israeli airstrikes killed five Palestinian journalists there. Israel's military says they were terrorists, quote, "masquerading as journalists." How challenging is it for organizations like yours to determine when people killed in war are, in fact, working as journalists?
WEIMERS: It's extremely challenging, and it's only getting harder because the Israeli defense forces do not cooperate. Israel has instituted a blockade that prevents outside groups like ours or international media from entering Gaza and reporting independently. We do investigate every report of a killing of a journalist anywhere in the world to ensure that the journalist killed was killed in function of their duty and that the claims are accurate. In this case, we're still investigating the details of this particular attack that happened two days ago.
But I can say that this fits a pattern we've seen. Like I said, at least 145 journalists who have been killed, and it hasn't protected them whether they're wearing a press vest. It hasn't protected them if they're sitting in a van marked press. And frankly, the Israeli defense forces have consistently accused the journalists they have killed of terrorism without providing any evidence. And when they do occasionally provide evidence, some of it is so laughably flimsy that we simply can't accept it at face value. So until evidence is produced, we really can't accept these accusations of terrorism.
MCCAMMON: And what about threats to journalists outside of war zones?
WEIMERS: Sure. There - you know, there are a number of threats to journalists around the world, not just in conflict zones. One of the deadliest countries for journalists in the world is actually Mexico, and that's a country that's officially at peace. And the biggest problem there is cartel violence and corruption that leads to the death of journalists who investigate them. And the problem that connects the violence in places like Mexico and the violence in places like Gaza is a total impunity for the crimes that are committed against journalists. There's a statistic that something like 88% of the killing of journalists go unaccounted for. No justice done at all. The result of this impunity is that it increases the incentive for the bad actors to continue acting badly and threaten journalists.
MCCAMMON: And quickly - we have about 30 seconds - what does all this mean for access to information?
WEIMERS: Well, particularly in Gaza, we're worried that the region is becoming a black hole for reliable information. Without independent journalists gathering and disseminating the information, people around the world are forced more and more to rely on propaganda outlets or the information that's shared by parties with an agenda like the Israeli Defense Forces or like Hamas. And for the world to understand conflicts like this, it's essential to have independent journalists going in and verifying information.
MCCAMMON: Clayton Weimers with Reporters Without Borders USA. Thank you so much.
WEIMERS: Thank you for having me.
(SOUNDBITE OF MAMMAL HANDS' "KANDAIKI") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
